Can you hear the sound of children playing?
With a GROWING awareness of OUR planets’ current condition, the Ashan Foundation is taking steps to inspire the next generation by building a FUTURE without BORDERS.
We believe that it takes a village to raise a child… therefore, when the community is involved in the learning process, it expands the child’s ability to engage the world around them and grow with the changing times.
The Junior excellence school is nothing short of a growing community that is changing the was education has been previously approached. They are learning to engage the environment and create entrepreneurial opportunities within their context.
Our desire is to rebuild a culture that educates through an awareness of self, others, and our plant. Thus…. we decided to call the curriculum, “Back to Eden” (BTE)!
We are resetting the mindset of our youth by pushing them towards inspired and purposeful education.
HOW DID WE GET HERE
In 2005, our director of community development (Yawya) and the director of The Excellence Junior School (Kituyi) worked to provide resources and education, throughout Eastern Africa for eight years. They collectively managed over 100 projects, which resulted in positive transformation in many countries including Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi.
As a result of their experiences and understanding of the region, the Ashan Foundation partnered with Kituyi and her staff to create a community based curriculum that contextualizes their specific needs.
The Director’s Cut
The “Back To Eden” project (curriculum) started in August 2018. The Ashan Foundation and our local team analyzed the content within BTE and was amazed to find that some of the same guiding principles were aligned with our local curriculum. This made the teaching and learning process easy. For effective implementation of the curriculum, we divided all of our children into four groups with a lead teacher. Each group comprised of nine pupils. We had a practical vegetable patch growing during the pilot and the children were engaging it through the curriculum.
“The produce included tomatoes, onions, cabbages, green peppers, spinach, and eggplants.”
The students observed and practically conducted all of the farming practices such as; preparing the nursery bed, planting seeds, transplanting, watering, weeding, pruning, and mulching among others.
This project is impacting not only the children and the school, but the community at large. During COVID, the garden is helping sustain several within the community. BTE is increasingly becoming a center of attraction and impact. Most of our parents and neighboring schools, including some government officials that visited our campus wanted to get involved.
The Impact of bte
1. Self-Esteem The Back To Eden project has helped the children realize their value and has strengthened the development of their self-esteem.
2. Working in Groups The students learned the importance of community. This manifested when the children shared responsibilities within their groups.
3. Agriculture The children enjoyed interacting with the nursery and experiencing the cycles in nature.
4. Applicable Farming Skills The students learned skills that have been a point of education for their family and friends. The “each one teach one concept” is in full effect.
5. Produce During the fall term of 2018, we harvested and kept the vegetables as meals for some the students and their families.
Current CHALLENGES IN BTE
1. Limited Resources As we integrate the BTE initiative, some of the evolving pedagogies of education are causing a critical reflection on some of the compulsory learning methods of the past. The Ashan Foundation is striving to equip local educators with the resources needed to implement and manage these paradigm shifts. However with the restrictions and social distancing, it has been a challenge to maintain the interaction and engagement.
2. Expansion of the Curriculum To maintain the integrity of each grade level, there is a need for additional materials and staff. The BTE Pilot was used with our kindergarten class to the lower primary (primary three) classes. Without the adequate number of instructors, the range of topics are difficult to maintain from a comprehensive standpoint.
3. Limited Space and Equipment Currently, the school garden is feeding the community, therefore we are finding innovative ways to develop and expand our impact in this community as we develop effective methods to serve new students within the next phase of BTE.
MOVING FORWARD
Update: The Ashan Foundation has expanded BTE by implementing a rabbit farm on the school grounds. Students are learning how to keep, tend to the demands of rabbits and gaining basic entrepreneurial skills through this initiative. In Phase II, students will engage the neighboring communities with services around the produce grown in the garden and rabbit farm that will help build communal empowerment opportunities.
THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT IS BRINGING A NEW FOCUS AND purpose TO THE COMMUNITY!
As the Ashan Foundation continues to establish its efforts with the Excellence Junior School and additional institutions, we want to provide an opportunity for you to support & engage this viable work alongside us!
Methods of Connection:
Emotional and spiritual/mental support
Partnership through available resources, time, or skills
Donate financially
Share our work with others!
Our students start the day with physical activities to keep them attentive and inspired!
Support the
Back To Eden Initiative
